belt BUICK RANDEZVOUS 2003 Owner's Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-19
Child Restraints
.......................................1-45
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-67
Restraint System Check
............................1-76
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-13
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-18
Mirrors
....................................................2-31
OnStar
®System
......................................2-32
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-34
Storage Areas
.........................................2-37
Sunroof
..................................................2-45
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-46
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-33
Message Center
.......................................3-44
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
........................................3-53
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-64Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-31
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under
the Hood
............................................... 5-9
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-41
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-42
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-47
Tires
......................................................5-48
Appearance Care
.....................................5-77
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-85
Electrical System
......................................5-85
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-92
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-93
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index................................................................ 1
2003 Buick Rendezvous Owner ManualM
2003 - Rendezvous Owner Manual

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Passenger Seat..................................1-2
Four-Way Manual Driver Seat..........................1-2
Six-Way Power Seats.....................................1-3
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-4
Heated Seats.................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-5
Head Restraints.............................................1-6
Rear Seats.......................................................1-7
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-7
Split Bench Seats...........................................1-7
Captain Chairs.............................................1-12
Stowable Seat..............................................1-16
Safety Belts...................................................1-19
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-19
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-23
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-24
Driver Position..............................................1-24
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-32
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-33
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-34
Center Rear Passenger Position.....................1-38
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults.......................................1-40
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-44
Child Restraints.............................................1-45
Older Children..............................................1-45Infants and Young Children............................1-47
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-51
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-54
Top Strap....................................................1-54
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-56
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-59
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System....................................1-61
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
................................1-61
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Rear Seat Position
....................................1-63
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
....................................1-65
Air Bag Systems
............................................1-67
Where Are the Air Bags?
...............................1-70
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?
....................1-72
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
.....................1-73
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
.....................1-73
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?
.......1-74
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
.........1-76
Restraint System Check
..................................1-76
Checking Your Restraint Systems
...................1-76
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash
. . .1-77
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
2003 - Rendezvous OM

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crashyou could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
The front seat head restraints are adjustable. Slide the
head restraint up or down to adjust it.
On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward also.
1-6
2003 - Rendezvous OM

To recline the seatback on
up-level split bench seats,
push forward on the
recliner lever located on
the outboard side of
the seatback.
Move the seatback to the desired position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward and take the weight off the seatback.
The seatbacks on each section also fold forward to put
items behind the seats.
Lift up or push forward on the recliner lever and fold the
seatback forward. The seatback will lock into place
when you push it back to the upright position.
After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and
pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright.Removing the Split Bench Seat
Each section of the split bench seat can beflipped
forward or removed individually.
1. Unlatch the shoulder belt from the lap-belt.
2. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright
position.
3. Lift up or push forward on the seatback recliner
lever to fold the seatback forward. Up-Level
1-8
2003 - Rendezvous OM

Replacing the Split Bench Seat
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
{CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After installing the seat, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and are not twisted.
Make sure that the seatback is in the folded forward
position and that the safety belts are on the correct
section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so that they
face rearward because they won’t latch that way.
The split bench seat sections have seat position labels,
located on the back of each section, showing where
the section must go.
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2003 - Rendezvous OM

4. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
5. Lift the seatback recliner lever and raise the
seatback until it locks upright.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is
locked upright.
7. Attach the lap belt.
Captain Chairs
If your vehicle has captain’s chairs, the chairs and
seatbacks can be adjusted forward or rearward.
Adjusting the Captain’s Chairs
(Second Row)
To adjust he second row captain’s chairs, use the
adjustment bar located below the front of each seat.
Lift up the lever to slide the seat forward or rearward.
Release the lever. Push and pull on the seat to
make sure it is locked into place.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1-12
2003 - Rendezvous OM

{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After installing the seat, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and are not twisted.
Make sure that the seatback is in the folded forward
position and that the safety belts are on the correct side
of the chair.
Don’t put the chairs in so that they face rearward
because they won’t latch that way.
The captain’s chairs have seat position labels, located
on the back of each section, showing where the section
must go.
The seat must be placed in the proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.1. Hook the front latches over the frontfloor pins.
1-15
2003 - Rendezvous OM

{CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After installing the seat, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and are not twisted.Do not put the stowable seat in so that it faces rearward.
The stowable seat has to go in before the rear
convenience center. SeeRear Convenience Center on
page 2-42for more information.
The stowable seat has seat position labels, located on
the back of the seat, showing where the seat must go.
The seat must be placed in the proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.
Make sure that the seatback is folded forward before
beginning this procedure.
1. Remove the nuts from the screws.
2. Place the stowable seat on the vehiclefloor so that
the brackets are placed over the screws.
3. Reinstall the nuts back onto the screws. Torque to
approximately 18 lb ft (25Y).
4. Try to raise the seat to make sure that it is
locked down.
5. Raise the seatback to its upright position.
Push and pull on the seatback to make sure that it
is locked into place.
1-18
2003 - Rendezvous OM

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crashand you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be muchworse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-37.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
1-19
2003 - Rendezvous OM

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-20
2003 - Rendezvous OM